Pine Ridge Man Guilty Of Sexual Contact And Assaulting A Federal Officer

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Kaleb Mills, age 19, of Pine Ridge, South Dakota has pled guilty to two separate charges.

Mills appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on June 17, 2013 and pled guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 3 years' imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine.

In April of 2012 at Pine Ridge, Mills engaged in sexual contact with a woman who was not willing and repeatedly voiced her objection. She was in fear of being physically harmed by Mills.

In an additional plea on June 17, 2013, Mills pled guilty to Assault on a Federal Officer. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 1 year of imprisonment and/or a $100,000 fine.

That charge stems from a May 2012 incident at Pine Ridge, when Mills bumped an Oglala Sioux Tribal Officer with his vehicle after the officer stopped him for speeding.

The investigation for both cases was conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Both cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah B. Collins.

A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing dates will be set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing.